With the officials saying Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James didn't actually catch the ball in the closing moments against the New England Patriots, resulting in all the confusion, the National Football League has since come out to try to explain it.

First, for context, here is the (apparent) non-catch by Jesse James:

Sure likes a catch to me, as the ball crossed the goal line, making the ball dead. However, that's not how the rulebook reads…

NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron explained why the play was ruled an incomplete pass.

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“James is going to the ground as he reaches the goal line, and that’s the key here. He was going to the ground,” Riveron said, via The MMQB’s Albert Breer. “By rule, to complete the process of the catch he must survive the ground. By that we mean he must maintain control of the football. As we see here he does put the ball over the goal line extended. Once he gets there he loses control of the football, and then the football hits the ground.”

Don't worry, former refs come in to discuss the dilly:

And here we are, hours later, and I doubt anyone still has any idea what in the heck a catch in the NFL is.